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Weile Chen

Nutrient foraging by mycorrhizal roots.

Weile is funded by the Ecology Graduate Program, ESM Department and the National Science Foundation (IOS 1120482)

My research centers on understanding the nutrient foraging strategies of mycorrhizal roots across temperatre tree species. Both root morphology and mycorrhizal status can influence root nutrient foraging, and how much the mycorrhizas can benefit nutrient acquisition is likely related to root morphology in different species. To study the relationship between mycorrhizal dependence and root morphology in root nutrient foraging, I will conduct experiments in a common garden with trees that vary widely in root morphology and including both ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal species. In order to estimate nutrient benefits from fungi to plant roots in different species, the abundance, community structure and functional diversity of the root associated mycorrhizal fungi will be investigated by phospholipid fatty acids analysis, DNA barcoding and hyphal ingrowth cores, respectively. Additionally, I will test the influence of inter-specific competition of trees on their respectitve nutrient foraging strategies.

Outside of my work on nutrient foraging of mycorrhizal roots, I am also interested in lots of aspects in belowground ecology, including the root trait variation and evolution, root and mycorrhizal respiration, as well as the seasonal dynamics of soil microbial community across diverse vegetation types.